But it is a measure of Smythe’s nuanced touch as a storyteller that there is the clear ring of emotional truth to all the characters, whether they are behaving well or badly. ... Her true Olympian achievement is in creating a lively story that skips lightly, yet respectfully, through its root sources while blooming with a delightful freshness for a new generation of readers.
Ong Sor Fern, The Straits Times
As a whodunnit, Now You See Us delivers twists aplenty and a satisfying ending. As social commentary, it holds up a mirror to Singaporean readers.
Olivia Ho, The Straits Times
It is an important book for anyone who has engaged a migrant worker, or walked past one on the way to work.
Shermaine Ang, The Straits Times
It is the perfect vehicle for Ellis, in sparkling form here, as the observer par excellence of the numbness and dissociation prevalent in those who have had the (mis)fortune to see too much too young.
Clement Yong, The Straits Times
The novel reads easily, resembling young adult fiction though the characters are in their early 20s – it also expertly weaves between commentary about the lives of the Singaporean middle class and name-dropping expensive designers at the best parties.
Charmaine Lim, The Straits Times
Babysitter is yet another example of Oates’ daring to tread where other writers might avoid. Hannah, an essentially uninteresting character, manages to come alive, even if the choices that she makes at different junctures make sympathy for her difficult. This is an in-depth look at the randomness of human evil, and at its effects on the mind of an ordinary woman.
Clement Yong, The Straits Times
It is full of insights into Pratchett’s writing process . . . Through Wilkins’ eyes, one witnesses the genius of Pratchett and how hard he worked.
Olivia Ho, The Straits Times
Babysitter is yet another example of Oates’ daring to tread where other writers might avoid. Hannah, an essentially uninteresting character, manages to come alive, even if the choices that she makes at different junctures make sympathy for her difficult. This is an in-depth look at the randomness of human evil, and at its effects on the mind of an ordinary woman.
Clement Yong, The Straits Times
Without a doubt, though, McEwan’s languid, sensitive prose remains one of the most articulate in modern literature. He writes of youth and old age with equal perspicacity, never allowing sentimentality to compromise how his characters behave.
Clement Yong, The Straits Times
Atkinson’s world teems with sordid colour drawn from scrupulous research. . . . It is a fine read with which to ring in yet another year of these less-than-roaring Twenties.
Olivia Ho, The Straits Times
Babel, the latest to hit the shelves, is a delight to read and a testament to the magic of translation. It will hold particular appeal for readers who love languages, words and their etymologies.
Toh Wen Li, The Straits Times
Hauser builds her life’s inventory out of deconstructed personal narratives, resulting in a reading experience that’s rich like a complicated dessert—not for wolfing down but for savoring in small bites.
Mary Laura Philpott, The New York Times
This is a boy meets girl story that is never a romance – though it is romantic… Zevin blurs the lines between reality and play… Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is an artfully balanced novel – charming but never saccharine. The world Zevin has created is textured, expansive and, just like those built by her characters, playful.
Pippa Bailey, The Guardian
Kohda ends up weaving an unsettling yet moving universal tale that contemplates what it means to be a young woman, a minority and to be alive.
Jan Lee, The Straits Times
Its heroines may be faking it till they make it, but Singaporean Kirstin Chen's third novel is the real deal.
Olivia Ho, The Straits Times
Scenes of the cultural clashes between Meddy and Nathan's family, as well as Nathan's mother's increasingly hostile attitude towards Meddy's aunties, feel painfully real. They highlight the vast differences within the Asian diaspora of the world.
Jan Lee, The Straits Times
Li's prose is unusually lyrical, given the genre. She writes with a painterly eye, with charcoal motion and cadmium yellow flowers, and imbues with beauty "the slow, complicated matter of peeling a museum apart".
Olivia Ho, The Straits Times
A Lady's Guide To Fortune-Hunting turns out to be the perfect summer beach read - a smart and shockingly entertaining update of the genre. ... While the plot devices are borrowed from Heyer, Irwin depicts her characters' motives and actions with a psychological acuity that gives them contemporary verve. ... This cleverly constructed tale is as decadently pleasurable as a cream tea with all the trimmings.
Ong Sor Fern, The Straits Times
Ho paints a frank, funny portrait of pregnancy, supernumerary nipples and all, that will be relatable to those who are mothers and eye-opening to those who are not. She also takes care to flesh out Lucie's other relationships, from her frosty family interactions to her bond with her best friends, Suzie and Weina.
Olivia Ho, The Straits Times
What makes the book a worthwhile read is how Shepherd captures the magic of maps. Cartography buffs will delight in the profusion of iconic maps in these pages - from historical marvels like the mediaeval Venetian Fra Mauro, to maps of fantasy realms such as J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth or Terry Pratchett's Discworld.
Olivia Ho, The Straits Times